Carton construction



Jam 5, 1965 N. A. KELLY 3,164,315

CARTON CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 5, 1962 2. Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

NORMAN A. KELLY ATTORNEYS Z'Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed 001;, 5, 1962 Mw/Www ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,164,315 CARTUN CONSTRUCTION Norman A. Keliy, Wayne Township, Kosciusiro County, Ind., assigner to Crystal Preforming and laciraging, Inc., Warsaw, 1nd., a corporation of Indiana Filed st. 3, 1962, Ser. No.' 228,111.3 3 Ciaims. (Ci. 229-17) This invention relates in general :to .a container construction and, more particularly, to a type thereof which is fabricated from coated paperboard, which is capable of holding liquids, such las milk or juice, and which has a closure .structure including ia self-contained pouring spout.

Coated paperboard containers or cartons have been widely yand .successfully used for many years, both commercially and in private homes. Examples .of such cartons are disclosed in my copending .patent applications, Serial No. 111,028, now Patent No. 3,118,586, and Serial No. 146,964. Many different types of coatings, including thermoplastics, have been used Afor rendering the paperboard containers liquid proof. .Polyethylene has been found to be well suited for this purpose because it produces tough, watertight surfaces which can be sealed together by heating .or otherwise softening the plastic material on the surfaces to be sealed, and pressing such surlfaces together. However, it will be understood that the specific reference herein to a specic kind of plastic and a method of elfecting Isaid sealing is yforillustrative purposes only.

Many problems, which are discussed in detail in the above-identified patent applications, have been encountered during the development of plastic coated cartons or containers, particularly where the plastic coating is utilized .fto I.seal the closure :structure after the container is iilled. Principally, it has been difficult to obtain a good seal which can be easily and manually, but not accidentally, broken in `order to remove the contents `from the carton. Secondarily, it has been :diiiicult to provide an integral pouring spout which does not have an unsanitary, ragged or fuzzy lip resulting from the breaking .of the seal. Moreover, it has been found dicult to satisfactorily overcome the above-mentioned problems while, at the same time, .providing a closure structure which can be automatically closed and sealed by moderately priced machinery which can be purchased by, and eiiiciently used in, the average small dairy, as well as large dairies.

Accordingly, the primary objects of this invention include the provision of a plastic-coated container having a closure structure which can easily be preformed by machinery of modest size and moderate cost, which permits easy filling .of the container, which can be automatically closed and sealed by a relatively uncomplicated machine, which is neat in appearance and leakproof, which has an easily accessible and integral spout, and which can be easily and manually (but not accidentally) .opened for irnmediate use without producing an unsightly, unsantiary and ragged edge at the outer end of the pouring spout.

A further object of this invention has been the provision of a carton construction, including the aforesaid closure structure, which can .be easily and economically fabricated from coated paperboard and which requires no more material than existing carton constructions of the same general type.

Other objects and. purposes .of this invention will become apparent to persons familiar with this type of product upon reading the foilowing descriptive material and examining the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a broken perspective view of a carton construction embodying the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a broken plan view of a carton blank from which said carton construction can be formed.

r ICC 'FIGURE 3 is a fragment of the carton blank shown in FIGURE 2, as viewed `from the opposite side thereof.

FIGURE 4 is a top View of the closure structure of said carton in its open position.

`FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken along .the line V-V in FIGURE 4, with the closure structure in its closed position.

FIGURE 6 is a fragment .of FIGURE 5 with the closure structure in a partially open posi-tion.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary, side elevational view of the carton showing the closure structure in the open position.

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of a fragment of the carton disclosing the bottom thereof` FIGURE 9 is a sectional view taken along the line IX- IX in FIGURE 8.

FIGURE 10 is a side elevational view `of a fragment of said carton .showing the bottom structure thereof in a partially closed position.

FIGURE 11 is .a fragment of FIGURE 2 showing an alternate construction |for the pouring spout of the carton.

For convenience in description, the terms .upper, lower and words of similar import will have reference to the carton `and its closure structure as appearing in FIGURES l and 7. The terms 'fi'ont, rear and words of similar import will have reference, respectively, to the left .and right sides of the carton and its closure structure, `as appearing in FIGURES 5 and 7. The terms innen outer and derivatives thereof will have ,reference to the geometric center of said carton or said closure structure and parts thereof.

General Description The objects and purposes of the invention, including those set `forth above, have been met 'by providing a carton .construction fashioned from `a iiat blank which is cut 'from ia coated sheet .of paperboard or the like and simultaneously scored. vIn this embodiment, the coating .on said paperboard preferably contains at least a very substan- .'tial .amount of plastic material which is preferably heatsealable. The carton has four side walls and a bottom wall arranged to define a rectangular container which is open at one end and which preferably has a substantially square cross section. The carton has a closure structure which is formed from four end panels integral with the ends of the side walls aft the open end of the carton. `In .a lpreferred embodiment, lthe end panels are of such size .and shape that they form a gabled closure structure when they are folded towards each other.

The upper portions .of the end panels are scored to form an upright rib along the upper edge of the gable when it is in its closed position. One of said end panels has an integral iiap which extends around and seals the rib. By providing .an appropriate cut in .one end panel and by providing ant-isealant means on several end panels, it is possible to open easily, but not accidentally, the closure structure in order to form an integral pouring spout.

Detailed Description The carton 1@ (FIGURE 1), which illustrates a preferred embodiment .of the invention, is fashioned from a ii-at canton blank 11 (FIGURE 2), which is cut from a sheet of coated paperboard or the like and simultaneously scored. In a preferred embodiment, the sheet material from which the carton blank is cut may consist of heavy paper stock .or .other suitable sheet material which is sufficiently stiff to be self-.supporting :and capable of withstanding reasonable `amounts of rough handling without collapsing, particularly after the blank has been fashioned into the closed container Iii. By way lof example, the sheet material may be coa-ted with a synthetic plastic composition, such :as polyethylene, which may be compounded sae-gale with other ingredients or additives for the purpose of in1- proving the adhesive or other qualities of the composition tfor fthe intended purposes. lt is, however, important to this invention that the plastic coating be capable of achieving a strong adhesive bond with the paper stock and a strong cohesive bond .when portions of the coated sheet material are heated, or otherwise softened, and then firmly held together while the seal forms therebetween. It is also .contemplated that the coating on the paperboard can be either a pressure-sensitive material or a combined heat and pressure-sensitive material, whereby :the sealing together of the end panels is effected at least partially by pressure.

.Under some circumstances, it may be desirable to use a plastic coating which is caused to -form the seal by applying a solvent or an `adhesive .to the surfaces between which the seal is desired.

The blank 11 (FIGURE 2) has a plurality of transverse, parallel and spaced fold or scored lines 12, 3.3, la and l5 which divide the blank M into four side walls 16, 17, I3 and 19, respectively, and an edge strip 29 which is integral with the lside panel i9 along the scored line 1 5. The blank 11 is fashioned into a tube of substantially rectangular cross section by heating the edge strip 2G and the lengthwise tree edge portion of the side wall te, and thereafter pressing them together.

A bottom wall 24, FIGURES l, 8 and 9, is formed on one end of said tube by folding the lower end panels 2S, 25, 27 and 28 (FIGURE 2) inwardly toward each other. The scored lines IZa, a, 14a and ESQ, which are downward extensions of the scored lines i2, i3, 14 and t5, respectively, dene the junctions between the integral, lower end panels. The converging scored lines 3l. and 32 on the lower end panels 26 and 2S, respectively, facilitate the folding of the lower end panels to form the bottom wall 24. The lower end panel is provided with an integral tab 33 which extends beyond the lower 'rines the junction between the side walls and the upper end panels 37, 33,739 and 44%, from which the closure structure 41 (FIGURE l) is formed. Said upper end panels are integralwith each other, and their junctions are defined by the score lines 12b, ib, 14h and 15b which are upward extensions of the score lines 12, 13, I4 and 15, respectively.

` A fold line 43 (FlGURE 2), which is parallel with the fold line 36,'is provided along and near to the upper edges of the upper end panels so that it intersects perpendicu- Vlarly the score lines 12b, 13b, 14b and 15b. A pair of converging score lines 44 and 45 are provided in the upper end panel 38 so that they converge from the intersections o the fold line with the score lines 12b and 13b toward a point on the fold line i3 approximately midway between the score lines 12b and 13b. A similar pair of converging score lines 47 and 48 are provided in a similar manner in the end panel di?. Fold lines S1 and 52, which are of relatively short length, extend from the convergence of scored lines 44, and 47, 48, respectively, to the upper edges of their end panels 38 and dit, respectively. A pair of converging scored lines S3 and 54 extend respectively from the intersections of the scored lines i3b and 14h with the fold line 36 to a point in the upper edgevof the end panel 39 midway between said scored lines 13b and Mb.

The upper, substantially rectangular portions 56, 57, 58 and 59 (FIGURE 2) of the the upper end panels 37, 38, 39 and 40, respectively, which are disposed above the fold line 43, are bent along said fold line 43 during the closure-forming operation so that they assume substantially parallel positions (FIGURE 5) and thusly provide a rib t2 (FIGURE l) along the upper edge of the gabled closure structure 4i.

A cover flap 63 (FIGURE 2) is preferably integral with the upper end panel 37 and extends substantially beyond the upper edges of the other upper end panels. A pair of substantially parallel fold lines 65 and 66, which are preferably parallel with fold line 43, are scored in the flap 63 for facilitating its bending over the rib 62 QFIGURES l and 5).

The inner surface (FIGURE 3) on the edge portion 5d o the end panel 3% is covered or coated, substantially throughout its length, with an antisealing strip or material o?, which remains non-adhesive when the edge portions Ef, 5?, 58 and S9 are heated, or otherwise treated, for the purpose of rendering the coating material thereon adhesive prior to the sealing operation. Accordingly, no seal is formed between substantially all of the engaging inner surfaces on the edge portion 5S and the parts 57a and 59a of the edge portions 57 and 59, which are against edge portion S3 during the sealing operation. In order to eirninate any possibility of accidental leakage or seepage between the edge portion 5S and the edge parts 57a and adjacent the opposite ends of edge portion 5S, the ends of the edge portion 58 are not covered with the antisealing strip 67, as shown in FIGURE. 3. Accordingly, controlled sealing does occur at the ends of the edge portion 53. The iiap 63 is sealed to the outer surface of the edge portion 523 during the sealing operation and thereby prevents leakage past the strip 67 between the ends of the edge portion S3.

in order to facilitate opening of the closure structure di, the outer surface on the upper edge portion 53 of the end panel E? is provided with a substantially U-shaped cut 6 (FiGURE 2) which penetrates the plastic coating on the outer surface of the blank il. Said cut da extends substantially along the adiacent portions of the fold line 43 and scored lines lh and ltb. The strip 69 of plastic coating defined by the cut 68 in the edge portion S3 is pulled away from the paperboard 7l (FIGURE 6) beneath the coating strip o@ when the cover flap 63 is pulled upwardly away from the rib 62 to open the closure structure 4t. Because the exposed paperboard is on the outer side of the panel 53, hence of the pouring spout 72 (FIGURES 4 and 7), the exposed paperboard does not interfere with the operation of the spout. The antisealing strip 67 on the inner lip of said spout 72 provides a clean pouring edge therefor.

The amount of heat which reaches the outer surtaces on the edge portions 57 and 59, and/or the amount of sealing which occurs betwen the parts 57a, Si'b and 59a, 5%, may be somewhat less than the heating and sealing which occurs between the inner surfaces on the edge por tion S6 and the edge parts 57h and 59h, in order to facilitate the opening of the spout '72, T hat is, it is important that the parts 57h and 59h of the edge portions 57 and 59 remain connected or sealed to the edge portion 56 while the closure structure 4l is opened and the spout 72 is formed. Also, it is important that the spout 72 can be easily manually moved from its closed (FIGURE 6) position to its open (FGURE 4) position by ing the thumb toretinger, for example.

Operation The assembly and operation of the carton ld and its closure structure lill are Iprobably evident from the toregoing descriptive materiais. Briefly, the blank lll is irst formed into a tube then into a substantially rectangular and upwardly opening container having side walls lo, i7, l and it) and a bottom wall 24. The closure structure il is formed by urging the upper end walls 3S and el@ toward each other so that said upper end panels are bent along the told lines 35 i3 and along the con itil verging score lines 44, 4S, lt7' and 48. Heat is applied to the flap 63 and to the edge portions 56, 57, 5S and 59 so that at least portions of the plastic material thereon are rendered adhesive. Thereafter, the edge portions 56, 57, 58 and S9 are moved into adjacent parallel positions, as appearing in FIGURES 5 and 6, after which the cover flap 63 is folded around the rib 62 and they are pressed tightly together. The resuitant seal of the cover flap 63 and rib 62 creates a liquid-proof closure structure 41 which will not open accidentally, even when it is roughly treated.

The closure structure 41 is easily opened by moving the free end of the cover flap 63 upwardly into its FIG- URE 6 position and away from the edge portion 58. During this operation, the coating strip 69 is pulled or peeled with the flap 63 away from the edge portion 5S. The spout 72 can then be opened by squeezing the front portions of the end panels 38 and 40 between the thumb and forefinger.

After the spout 72 has been used, it can be manually moved back into its FIGURE 6 position and the cover flap 63 can be folded over the rib 62. Following the sealing operation, the cover flap 63 will have a tendency or memory urging it toward its FIGURE 5 position, whereby the closure structure 41 is held in a substantially dustproof and sanitary position.

The alternate structure appearing in FIGURE 11 provides a spout 75 having abroad pouring tip 76 instead of the pointed tip appearing in FIGURE 4. The pouring tip is formed on the spout 75 by reducing the convergence of the fold lines 77 and 78 so that they do not meet at the outer edge of the end panel 39a.

Although particular preferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosed above for illustrative purposes, it will be understood that variations or modifications of such disclosure, which come within the scope of the appended claims, are fully contemplated.

What is claimed is:

1. In a container construction fashioned from a blank of coated sheet material, said container construction including four side walls and a bottom wall arranged to define a substantially rectangular compartment open at one end thereof, structure for closing the ope-11 end of said container construction, comprising:

four substantially rectangular panels integral with and extending respectively from the ends of the side walls adjacent the open end of the container construction, the junction between said panels and said side walls being defined by first fold lines lying substantially Within a plane parallel with the bottom wall, each panel being coated with a film of thermoplastic material and being connected to the adjacent panels and such connections being defined by second fold lines transverse of said first fold lines, and veach panel extending from its first fold line a distance less than the length of the first fold line associated with an adjacent panel;

a third fold line extending across each end panel parallel with said first fold lines, the thirdifold lines defining edge portions on said panels spaced from said first fold lines a distance greater than half the length of a firstfold line associated with an j adjacent panel;

means defining in one panelra pair of fold lines converging from the opposite ends of its first fold line to the midpoint of the free edge of its respective edge portion; means defining in the two panels adjacent said one panel a pair of fold lines converging from the opposite ends of their first fold lines to the midpoints of their respective third fold lines;

Ya fiap integral with, and extending from the edge portion of,.the panel opposite said one panel, said ap being engageable with the outer surface on the f edge portion of said one panel when the edge portions of said panels are substantially perpendicular' to said plane and adjacent to each other, and said one panel and said opposite panel are at acute angles to said plane; and

means defining a substantially U-shaped cut in said outer surface on said edge portion of said one panel, said cut extending along the adjacent parts of the second and third fold lines on said one end panel and pentrating the film on said outer surface whereby the coating on said surface of said one panel within the zone defined by said cut is removed with said fiap when the closure structure is opened.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said blank is fabricated from paperboard coated with said thermoplastic material;

wherein said paperboard is only partially penetrated by said cut throughout its length; and

including a nonadhesive covering over the thermoplastic film on the inner surface of the edge portion of said one panel.

3. In a container construction fashioned from a blank of coated sheet material, said container construction including four side walls and a bottom wall arranged to define a substantially rectangular compartment open at one end thereof, structure for closing the open end of said container construction, comprising:

four substantially rectangular panels integral with and extending respectively from the ends of the side walls adjacent the open end of the container construction, the junction between said panels and said side walls being defined by first fold lines lying substantially within a plane parallel with the bottom wall, each panel being coated with a film of thermoplastic material and being connected to the adjacent panels and such connections being defined by second fold lines transverse of said first fold lines, and each panel extending from its first fold line a distance less than the length of the first fold line associated with an adjacent panel;

a third fold line extending across each end panel parallel with said first fold lines, the third fold lines defining edge portions on said panels spaced from said first fold lines a distance greater than half of the length of a first fold line associated with an adjacent panel;

means defining in each of three adjacent panels a pair of fold lines converging from the opposite ends of their first fold lines toward the midpoints of their respective third fold lines, the center pair converging above said midpoint;

a ap integral with, and extending from the edge portion of, the fourth one of said panels, said flap being engageable with the outer surface on the edge portion of the center one of said three panels when the edge portions of said panels are substantially perpendicular to said plane and adjacent to each other and said center` and -fourth panels are at an acute angle to said plane; and

means defining a substantially U-shaped cut in said outer surface of said edge portion of said center panel, s aid cut penetrating the thermoplastic coating on said outer surface and extending along theadjacent parts of the second and third fold lines on said one end panel, whereby the zone defined by said cut is removed with said fiap when the closure structure is opened.

References Citedin the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Kuchenbecker June19, 1962 

1. IN A CONTAINER CONSTRUCTION FASHIONED FROM A BLANK OF COATED SHEET MATERIAL, SAID CONTAINER CONSTRUCTION INCLUDING FOUR SIDE WALLS AND A BOTTOM WALL ARRANGED TO DEFINE A SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR COMPARTMENT OPEN AT ONE END THEREOF, STRUCTURE FOR CLOSING THE OPEN END OF SAID CONTAINER CONSTRUCTION, COMPRISING: FOUR SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR PANELS WITH AND EXTENDING RESPECTIVELY FROM THE ENDS OF THE SIDE WALLS ADJACENT THE OPEN END OF THE CONTAINER CONSTRUCTION, THE JUNCTION BETWEEN SAID PANELS AND SAID SIDE WALLS BEING DEFINED BY FIRST FOLD LINES LYING SUBSTANTIALLY WITHIN A PLANE PARALLEL WITH THE BOTTOM WALL, EACH PANEL BEING COATED WITH A FILM OF THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL AND BEING CONNECTED TO THE ADJACENT PANELS AND SUCH CONNECTIONS BEING DEFINED BY SECOND FOLD LINES TRANSVERSE OF SAID FIRST FOLD LINES, AND EACH PANEL EXTENDING FROM ITS FIRST FOLD LINE DISTANCE LESS THAN THE LENGTH OF THE FIRST FOLD LINE ASSOCIATED WITH AN ADJACENT PANEL; A THIRD FOLD LINE EXTENDING ACROSS EACH END PANEL PARALLEL WITH SAID FIRST FOLD LINES, THE THIRD FOLD LINES DEFINING EDGE PORTIONS ON SAID PANELS SPACED FROM SAID FIRST FOLD LINES A DISTANCE GREATER THAN HALF THE LENGTH OF A FIRST FOLD LINE ASSOCIATED WITH AN ADJACENT PANEL; MEANS DEFINING IN ONE PANEL A PAIR OF FOLD LINES CONVERGING FROM THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF ITS FIRST FOLD LINE TO THE MIDPOINT OF THE FREE EDGE OF ITS RESPECTIVE EDGE PORTION; MEANS DEFINING IN THE TWO PANELS ADJACENT SAID ONE PANEL A PAIR OF FOLD LINES CONVERGING FROM THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF THEIR FIRST FOLD LINES TO THE MIDPOINTS OF THEIR RESPECTIVE THIRD FOLD LINES; A FLAP INTEGRAL WITH, AND EXTENDING FROM THE EDGE PORTION OF THE PANEL OPPOSITE SAID ONE PANEL, SAID FLAP BEING ENGAGEABLE WITH THE OUTER SURFACE ON THE EDGE PORTION OF SAID ONE PANEL WHEN THE EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID PANELS ARE SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO SAID PLANE AND ADJACENT TO EACH OTHER, AND SAID ONE PANEL AND SAID OPPOSITE PANEL ARE AT ACUTE ANGLES TO SAID PLANE; AND MEANS DEFINING A SUBSTANTIALLY U-SHAPED CUT IN SAID OUTER SURFACE ON SAID EDGE PORTION OF SAID ONE PANEL SAID CUT EXTENDING ALONG THE ADJACENT PARTS OF THE SECOND AND THIRD FOLD LINES ON SAID ONE END PANEL AND PENTRATING THE FILM ON SAID OUTER SURFACE WHEREBY THE COATING ON SAID SURFACE OF SAID ONE PANEL WITHIN THE ZONE DEFINED BY SAID CUT IS REMOVED WITH SAID FLAP WHEN THE CLOSURE STRUCTURE IS OPENED. 